Archbishop Gregory Aymond preached at Mass at St. Louis Cathedral on January 1 in response to the terrorist attacks in the French Quarter:
I don’t know anyone who has created an “app” of the future that will tell us exactly what will happen in our lives every day. Who would have thought that something that happened during the night would lead us to gather here this morning? What will happen this year is a question we all have, and the short answer is we don’t know. Our human minds can only guess. You can’t predict the future.
On the first day of 2025, we honor a woman who lived her life not knowing what the future held, but living in the moment, knowing that God loved her and called her to stay here. I come to church for Close to God. Obviously, the person I’m talking about is Mary, who is not only the mother of Jesus, but also our mother.
Mary lived in the present. We shouldn’t live in the past because living in the past is unhealthy. We cannot live in the future, because it is unknown to us. We can live in the present. I think that’s hard to do in this fast-paced world where we’re always planning and looking at what to do next. Perhaps in this new year, as we come to church this morning, God is calling us to slow down a little bit and do our best to smell the roses. It’s not easy. It’s very difficult to do that in our culture. Because the following happens: By doing so, you and I will miss each other. We miss the subtle ways God reveals Himself in our daily lives. We miss the people who love us and care about us because we are so concerned about what to do next or who we will meet next.
We miss the kindness of others and those who care about us. And in a way, in all of this, it seems like we can be hopeless when we remember this Jubilee year. The theme Pope Francis has given us this year is “Hope.” Like many of you, I find it difficult to slow down. It is worth trying both to see God and to appreciate others. Mary teaches us to trust God and have hope.
Even in the midst of the tragedies we heard this morning, we ask: Do we believe that God calls us by name and that He walks with us every day, even in the midst of discouragement, even in the midst of hardship? Terrorist attack? Do we believe that Jesus walks with us? And do we have hope that God will do through us what we cannot do for ourselves?
Mary was also surprised by many things in life. She didn’t have a crystal ball. She also didn’t have an app to know her future. But she trusted and had hope. Looking back on her life, would she have imagined that her son would be born in a stable or a barn? Could she ever have imagined that she would have to bury her husband and son? But even in the midst of those tragedies, and even in the tragedy we experienced this morning, she was a woman of hope. It reminds us that we should have the same hope and never despair even in the midst of hardship. Difficult. Mary drew near to God in prayer, and maybe we can do the same.
That’s a simple question we can ask God when we wake up each day. “God, what are your plans for me today?” We know what’s on our calendar. We know what we are thinking in our heads and hearts. We know that responsibility. But what is your plan for me today and how will I achieve it? How should we treat the people in our lives, such as family and friends? How should we treat our enemies? What’s in store for us today?
2025 will bring joy and excitement to all of us. There will be everyday things, and there will be ordinary days where nothing special happens. For each of us, there will be challenges, crises, and some surprises, just as there were for Mary. We cannot know everything that becomes part of our lives. you can’t. There are no upcoming apps. If you think about it, you don’t need that. Mary’s prayers are for us. We know that she cares for us as the Mother of Jesus and as our Mother. She and her son walk with us and help us stay hopeful throughout the day, even in the midst of tragedy, disappointment, and the unknown questions life throws at us. Hope is far more valuable than crystal balls or futuristic apps.
As we gather today, we certainly have all our prayers and concerns as we look forward to the next 365 days, without knowing what will happen. We pray for ourselves, our families, our friends, and all those we hold close to our hearts.
Let us not forget those who may be feeling hopeless. Some families lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks this morning. Let’s not forget those who are fighting for their lives in hospitals. Let’s not forget about their family and friends. Because they need hope in a special way right now.
As always, we have our own concerns, but those concerns extend to others who may be poorer than us, who may feel hopeless. God gives us hope. Mary strengthens that hope in our lives. We need to realize that it is Mary’s hand that touches us today and gives us hope that no one else can give us.
Archbishop Aymond can be reached by email at clarionherald@clarionherald.org.
